Who May Ascend? – The Importance of a Heart Positioned to Worship / Worship and the Word series – part 4
“Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place?” (Psalm 24:3 NAS)
We just can’t go any further into a discussion on worship without seeking an answer to the question raised by David in Psalm 24:
Does the Bible say who’s allowed to enter the presence of the Most High God and stand before His throne?
Does it assert who may offer worship or what makes a person’s worship acceptable to Him? Who may ascend?
Very clearly!
The answer is given as Psalm 24 continues: “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face – even Jacob” (v.4-6).
According to these verses, a worshiper must have “clean hands” (an obedient life before God) and “a pure heart” (right motives and desires before God), “not lifted up his soul to falsehood” (a truth-centered life), or “not sworn deceitfully” (no unkept promises).
It’s pretty clear here that worship is not an event or practice that can be separated in the least from the rest of a person’s life. If we choose to live a life that is contrary to God’s word, then any words of worship we may mouth at church, or anywhere else, fall empty. Those blemished offerings don’t even make it to “His holy place” (v.3). That’s because sin draws us away from God and away from true worship. But it’s also because a Holy God cannot be in the presence of sin. Isaiah 59:2 says, “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”
But He hasn’t left us in this hopeless situation. We have a choice! Let’s keep looking.
Hebrews 10:19, 22 gives rich insight into what kind of preparation God expects from His worshipers: “Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus . . . [Then] Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
Again, here’s a verse that gives us four conditions necessary to be ready to “enter the holy place” or a place of worship.
The first is having a “sincere heart.” We need to have hearts that are truly fixed on God, not self-absorbed, hypocritical, preoccupied, or apathetic.
Second is drawing near “in full assurance of faith.” The worshiper needs to come to God fully assured that his access is by faith alone in Jesus Christ.
The third condition listed here is “having hearts sprinkled clean.” We must come knowing that we only have the right to be there because we’ve been cleansed by the blood of Jesus.
And finally, coming with “our bodies washed with pure water.” I believe this refers to the necessary daily confession of sin – just as 1 John 1:9 refers to God’s faithfulness to “cleanse us from all unrighteousness” as we confess our sin.
If we fulfill these four conditions, we will have every “confidence” to enter His presence and worship!
So what if you desire to “enter the holy place” to worship, and upon coming, realize that you don’t have clean hands or a pure, sincere heart?
The wise response is to then agree with God about the sin that He’s showing you. Call the sin what it is and repent, which involves a change in attitude and action. Sincerely pray and ask God to forgive and cleanse you of the sin, thank Him for His promised forgiveness, and ask Him to empower you through His Spirit to walk in a way pleasing to Him. True worship involves a surrender and submission of everything we are before God.
It’s so important to remember how we are even allowed to enter the holy presence of the Lord God Almighty to begin with.
“But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house, At Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You” (Psalm 5:7).
It’s only out of His “abundant lovingkindness” that we’re ushered into His presence. He longs for us to be there. It was out of His abundant love that He offered His son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins, so that we might have access to Him by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8).
His love draws us. His love allows us. His love fills us. It’s out of His undeserved love and grace that we have anything to offer back to Him in worship! And it’s out of this love that He yearns for us to be His intimate worshipers.
This all leads us to ask:
Are too few experiencing the kind of worship that God intended? Absolutely.
So is this an insurmountable barrier? Absolutely NOT!
True worship, just like the victorious Christian life, is the fruit of daily seeking to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. Just as we received Christ by faith, faith is the only means by which we can live the Spirit-filled life. It’s not something that God ever intended that we do on our own. There is an unlimited supply of grace and power to live the Christian life available to us at all times! Even though it’s the enemy’s greatest desire to defeat us every step of the way, our God is a God of incredible grace!
Paul prayed for the believers in Ephesus, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe” (Ephesians 1:18-19).
So if you truly pray, “open the eyes of my heart,” watch out! You may become the recipient of not only great knowledge and power of God, but of unfathomable worship!
“My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise!” (Psalm 57:7 KJV)
*This post is an excerpt from Lesson 4 – Our POSITION in Worship, from Pamela Haddix’s Bible study, Worship and the Word, awarded by Worship Leader Magazine as a “Best of 2014” book. For a more in depth look, check out Worship and the Word or purchase it here! Also find Pam’s worship blog at pamelahaddix.com and her Worship and the Word Facebook page here.
